There are two significant differences between solid and engineered hardwood floors. The main difference is their structural composition which determines where in your home you can best install it. Also, a solid hardwood floor can be refinished over and over again, while an engineered floor can only be refinished 2-3 times.

Depending upon your residence, your hardwood flooring choice and installation type will need to be evaluated. For example, if you live in a single family home, the level of the home and subfloor will affect your hardwood floor choice. If the room is in a basement (below grade level), an engineered hardwood floor would be your best choice. If living in a condo, the condo owner’s agreement will likely have rules regarding soundproofing which will need to be considered. The cost of installation will vary depending on method, as well as subfloor requirements and is an additional cost in your budget.

Whether you choose Solid or Engineered hardwood, you will need to always maintain relative humidty in your home between 35% and 55%. You will need to use a hygrometer (relative humidity indicator) to monitor moisture content in the air to ensure the humidity is always within the recommended range.

We encourage you to take hardwood samples home. Photos can provide a general idea as to how the floor will look, but seeing the sample in your home setting is vital. View the samples at different times of the day/night to see how it will look.

Choosing hardwood.

There are two significant differences between solid and engineered hardwood floors. The main difference is their structural composition which determines where in your home you can best install it. Also, a solid hardwood floor can be refinished over and over again, while an engineered floor can only be refinished 2-3 times.

Depending upon your residence, your hardwood flooring choice and installation type will need to be evaluated. For example, if you live in a single family home, the level of the home and subfloor will affect your hardwood floor choice. If the room is in a basement (below grade level), an engineered hardwood floor would be your best choice. If living in a condo, the condo owner’s agreement will likely have rules regarding soundproofing which will need to be considered. The cost of installation will vary depending on method, as well as subfloor requirements and is an additional cost in your budget.

Whether you choose Solid or Engineered hardwood, you will need to always maintain relative humidty in your home between 35% and 55%. You will need to use a hygrometer (relative humidity indicator) to monitor moisture content in the air to ensure the humidity is always within the recommended range.

We encourage you to take hardwood samples home. Photos can provide a general idea as to how the floor will look, but seeing the sample in your home setting is vital. View the samples at different times of the day/night to see how it will look.

Choosing hardwood.

The character of hardwood.

Things to think about when buying hardwood.

Today’s hardwood flooring offers you many choices in species, colour, widths, sheens and patterns. Hardwood will look beautiful for a very long time and will always be in style. Plus, it will add value to your home.

There are four hardwood finish sheens (how shiny or glossy your floor’s finish is). From the least shiny to the most they are: Matte, Satin, Semi-Gloss and Glossy. The glossier the floor, the more dust and dirt will show. The less sheen on the hardwood, the less you will notice dings and scratches. All sheens offer the same protection on your floor, it is just a matter of which look you prefer. Glossy and semi-gloss can show footprints when walking on the floor in bare feet. Satin finish has some sheen but does not look too glossy and is one of the more popular finishes.

Moisture levels in a concrete floor must be within industry standards of manufacturer’s recommendations. Moisture content on your subfloor/concrete floor will need to be evaluated before a hardwood floor can be installed.

Hardwood floors will scratch. Place rugs at all entrances to minimize the amount of dirt getting tracked into your home. Ensure you DO NOT use a rubber backed rug as this can discolour your wood floor. If you have medium to large sized dogs, ensure you keep their nails trimmed regularly. Always use floor protector pads on the bottom of the legs of your furniture.

As wood is photosensitive and reacts to sunlight, UV light has the most impact on colour change of a hardwood floor. If using an area rug on your hardwood floor, try moving the rugs and furniture from time to time. Do this to allow sunlight to hit the previously covered areas of your floors. This will help even out the fading process so a consistent colour will be achieved within the entire room.

Expect colour variations as hardwood is a natural material.

Wood is a cellular product. It will retain and give off moisture. Temperature, moisture and humidity will affect wood. Ideally your home should always be between 33% to 55% humidity.

We recommend that you use our professional installation services for your new hardwood floor. Installing wood floors is complicated and requires special tools and skills.

Extra materials: A waste factor ranging from 5% to 15% is typically used when calculating waste for your job. Species, width, direction, layout and grading of the wood can all affect your job as well as the fact that the wood will need to be cut to fit around a fireplace, bay window, stairs or closet. We will leave the left over material with you. Please keep the material in a flat, dry area for any future repairs. Left over material is not returnable.

About the Janka Hardness Scale.

Choosing the right species of hardwood is a matter of personal choice and budget. The lighter the wood colour, the more open and bright the room will appear. Medium to darker tones will make the room feel more warm and cozy.

The Janka Hardness scale provides a rating that measures a wood’s resistance to dents, scratches and wear. The higher the Janka rating, the more resistant that particular wood is. For example, American Cherry has a hardness rating of 950, whereas Brazillian Cherry (Jatoba) has a hardness rating of 2350. A home with no pets/children and less traffic may be well suited for American Cherry while a busy household with pets and children would benefit by installing Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba).

Table of hardness of woods species *Values are given in pounds. The higher the number, the harder the wood.

The Janka hardness test measures the force required to embed a 0.444 inch steel ball into the wood. This test is also used to
determine the degree of difficulty in sawing and nailing. Red Oak is the reference species for comparing wood hardness.

The hardwood buying process.

Visit our showroom and our sales associates will help you select the perfect flooring for your home. Bring swatches of furniture fabrics, draperies, bedspreads, wallpaper and paint that will remain in the room. You will probably want to bring samples home with you to see how it looks in your décor.

Before you visit us, consider drawing a simple outline of the room indicating:

Room Exits – are there any exits to the outside? Are there patio doors?

Adjoining room floors – what types of flooring will flow into this room? What are the colours?

Sunlight and other lighting – how much natural light comes in during the day, from what direction?

Rough measurement – measure the length and width of the room – include closets.

Our sales associates may ask you:

Is there light or heavy traffic in this room?

What is the room used for?

Do you want a casual, formal or somewhere in between look?

Do you have children or pets?

Do you have a certain colour in mind?

Is there a style you’ve owned or seen that you really like?

Nufloors will provide a free in home measure/estimate. We will determine exactly how much flooring you will need to buy and will determine the layout of the flooring in the room, where the seams will be placed (if applicable), and will review pattern matches if applicable. At this time, we will determine if your sub-floor is structurally sound or if repairs / replacement will be required.

If you decide to purchase from us (and we hope that you will!) we will schedule the installation and will prepare you for what to expect on installation day, such as who removes the old flooring, who moves the furniture and electronics, etc., who handles the door trimming (if required), will it be necessary to remove the moldings? Our installers are skilled, but not in electrical or plumbing work. They may be able to help with moving appliances but will not be able to disconnect/reconnect gas, water or direct-wired appliances.

Hardwood care.

tip: If you have a minor scratch, you can purchase stain markers/blending pencils that are avialable in a variety of tones from your local hardware store. This will help disguise the scratch slightly. Always use the wood flooring manufacturer’s cleaning, repair and finish products. Download our Hardwood Floor Care Guide for tips on how to maintain your hardwood and clean up spills.

Hardwood care.

tip: If you have a minor scratch, you can purchase stain markers/blending pencils that are avialable in a variety of tones from your local hardware store. This will help disguise the scratch slightly. Always use the wood flooring manufacturer’s cleaning, repair and finish products. Download our Hardwood Floor Care Guide for tips on how to maintain your hardwood and clean up spills.